Furniture

ABSTRACT

A foldable chair having a seat, a back rest, a pair of conjoined back legs, and a pair of separately attached front legs. When in a folded position, the chair is generally frusto-sectorial in form and suitable for compact storage thereof. Eight stored chairs form an anulus and at least two stored chairs form a rectangle when alternately disposed.

United States Patent [191 Smith FURNITURE [76] Inventor: Ross Francis Smith, Somerton Rd.,

Greenvale, Australia [22] Filed: June 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 263,286

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 16,1971 Austria .5212

[52] U.S. Cl 297/54, 297/139, 108/35 [51] Int. Cl. A47c 4/00 [58] Field of Search 297/139, 140, 51-54, 297/46, 47, 16, 379; 108/35, 34, 36

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1927 Livingood 297 139 H1959 Roggio 108/36 [451 Apr. 30, 1974 2,805,707 9/1957 Schoeppner 297/139 1,992,434 2/ 1935 Kosanek l 297/ 139 2,517,681 8/1950 Koerper 108/35 X 2,726,711 12/1955 Britt 297/139 X 2,457,411 12/1948 Steinberger 297/139 Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel ABSTRACT A foldable chair having a seat, a back rest, a pair of conjoined back legs, and a pair of separately attached front legs. When in a folded position, the chair is generally frusto-sectorial in form and suitable for compact storage thereof. Eight stored chairs form an anulus and at least two stored chairs form a rectangle when alternately disposed.

5 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 3 0 m4 SHEET 3 UF 3 FURNITURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to furniture. In a particularly preferred aspect the invention relates to a table and chair combination.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART Reference is made to a paper delivered by Harry Sebel at the Australian Catering Trade Fair Seminar in Sydney Australia on 20 June 1968. That paper highlights problems of restaurateurs and like people in rearranging their establishments to suit different situations.

From that paper I have realized that there is a pressing need for tables and chairs which are easily stored but which can quickly be brought into use.

Now a number of constructions of foldable and stackable chairs and tables are known but, to date, I believe that none have been found to be particularly suitable at least in part in'that even when folded or stacked they still take up a substantial amount of room.

SUMMARY OF 'THE INVENTION Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a construction which can be an at least partial solution to the above .problem.

According to this invention there is provided a table and chair combination including two table top means, a flange connecting means operative to hold the table top means in substantially parallel relationship to cooperate with the flange to enclose a volume defined at least in part by the table top means and the flange, and a number of freely positionable foldable chairs adapted to be received and snugly fitting within said volume.

The table top means preferably includes legs which are pivotally mounted tosaid portions whereby to be foldable to a position in which they are enclosable in said volume.

Each table top means may be a respective one of a table top of two tables. Alternatively each table top means may be a part of a single table top.

In a preferred aspect the present invention provides a table and chair combination including a table including flange means and two portions each including a table top part and hingedly joined to one another to be hingedly movable to and from an unfolded position, in which the table top parts lie in substantially the same plane to form a table top from and to a folded position, in which the table top parts are substantially parallel and co-operate with the flange means to enclose a volume defined at least in part by the table top parts and the flange means connecting means operative to hold the table top parts in said folded position and a number of freely positionable foldable chairs adapted to-be received and snugly fitted within said volume. In this construction it is preferred that the table top parts are provided with pivotally mounted legs adapted to be received within said volume.

The table top parts are preferably semi-circular so that in the folded position the table has a D configuration and in the unfolded position is a circular table. In this instance it is preferred that the chairs when folded have the shape generally of a sector or a frusto-sector of a circle. In this instance it is also preferred that means are provided for attaching two such tables when in the folded position so that they abut along the straight line of the Us and form a circle. In such form two tables may be rolled to and from storage.

The table may be provided with a handle for carrying purposes.

Substantial parts of the table and chairs may be made of synthetic plastics materials.

The table top parts may, in the folded position, face top to top or bottom to bottom. The latter is by far the preferred as in that instance the flange means may be carried by the table top parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table and chair construction in accordance with this invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line 22 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of part of the construction shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of part of the construction shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the construction shown in FIG. 1 in open condition,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of one of the chairs of the construction and shows it in folded condition,

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of part of the chair shown in FIG. 6, I

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the chair shown in FIG. 6 and shows it in unfolded condition,

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the chair as shown in FIG. 8,

FIG. 10 is a detail of the construction,

FIG. 1 1 is a sectional view of part of the construction,

FIG. 12 is a sectional view on line 12-12 in FIG. 1 1,

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of two constructions as shown in FIG. 1 connected together,

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another construction in accordance with this invention,

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of yet another construction in accordance with this invention,

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the interior of the construction shown in FIG. 15, and

FIG. 17 is a partly sectional view of a modification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 includes a table and eight chairs.

The table comprises two semi-circular table top parts 10 and 11 and depending flanges (l2 and 13) on each part extending generally perpendicular to the planes thereof and are continuous around the perimeter of the respective part.

The two parts 10 and 11 are joined by a hinge 14 the straps of which are integrally formed with the parts 10 and 11. The hinge is operative so that the parts 10 and 11 mayhingedly move from and to a folded position, as shown in-FIG. 1, to and from an unfolded position, as shown in. FIG. 5. Thus it will be realized that in the folded position a volume defined by the parts 10 and 11 and flanges 12 and 13 is enclosed.

Each of parts 10 and I1 is provided with a bracing rib l6.

Legs 17 for the table are pivotally mounted to the parts and 11 by pivot pins 18 to be movable from and to an upright standing position, as shown in FIG. 11, to and from a folded position, as shown in FIG. 5.

Each leg carries a spring loaded plunger 19 which has a head 21 which may be grasped by a user. The plungers are locatable in holes 22, shown in FIG. 12, to retain the legs in the standing position or holes 23, shown in FIG. 11, to retain the legs in the folded position.

It will be realized that the legs, when in the folded position, will be enclosed within said volume when the parts 10 and 11 are in the folded position.

To retain the parts 10 and 11 in the folded position each flange 12 is provided with a recess 24, see FIGS. 4 and 2 within which are located a clasp comprising a hook member 26 and an eye member 27. The eye member is spring loaded to lie flat in its recess even when the clasp is open. I

To retain the parts 10 and l 1 in the unfolded position the flanges 12 are provided at 28 and 29 with clasps (similar to the above) which are located in recesses (not shown in FIG. 1 but shown in FIG. 10) and the parts of which are engageable when the parts 10 and 11 are in the unfolded position, see FIG. 10.

Flanges 13 have recesses 31, see FIGS. 3 and 2, which accommodate handles 32 which are spring loaded to lie flat in the recesses but which may be raised for use as shown in phantom in FIG. 3. The handles enable the construction to be carried from place to place.

The chairs each comprises a seat 33, a backrest 34, back legs 36 and front legs 37.

The seat, backrest and back legs are pivotally mounted by a pivot pin and reference is made in this respect to FIG. 7.

A member 38 joins the back legs and serves to pivot them and also to restrict their movement beyond the position shown in FIG. 8 in the opposite direction to arrow 39. The backrest carries a spring loaded catch 41 which releasably engages with the member 38 when the backrest and back legs are in the position shown in F IG. 9 to prevent the backrest moving in the direction of arrow 42 except when that catch is released.

Each of the front legs is pivotally mounted to the seat and the seat carries catches 43 similar to catch 41 which are engageable in notches 44 or 46 to hold the front legs in folded or unfolded condition.

The chairs are foldable from the erect position shown in FIG. 8 in the direction of the arrows to the folded position shown in FIG. 6. When in the folded position the chairs are generally frusto-sectorial in form and this is particularly suited for being received into said volume.

The parts 10 and 11 are formed by plastic moulding techniques and in the forming of them they are provided with clips 47 and members 48 which serve to hold the chairs to the parts 10 and 11 and hence within said volume. As will be seen from FIG. 5, the chairs are snugly fitted with the parts 10 and 11.

Thus there isprovided a table and chair combination which when folded is compact and easily storable.

In FIG. 13 is shown two constructions as shown in FIG. 1 which are connected together by means of the clasps at 28 and 29. This construction is particularly advantageous as it may be rolled from place to place.

The construction shown in FIG. 14 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 13 excepting that, although two tables are provided, the table tops are not foldable.

The construction shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 embodies similar principles to those discussed with respect to FIGS. 1 to 12 and includes two table tops 51 and 52 which are held together by clasps, not shown, similarly to the clasps shown in FIGS. 1 to 12.

Each of the table tops has a pair of interconnected legs 53 at each end which are pivotted to the respective table top and provided with spring loaded plungers similar to that shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. Two chairs 54 and 56 are provided for each table top and the chairs are of identical construction as discussed with respect to FIGS. 1 to 12.

A modification is shown in FIG. 17 and is a table leg which comprises telescopic parts 61 and 62 and a spring loaded latch 63 which is releasably engageable through hole 64 with part 61 to releasably prevent telescoping. This modification may be used on any one of the tables discussed above for the purposes of raising or lowering the table as required; a particular application of this being the provision of a table which is of normal dining height but which is lowerable to serve as a coffee table or like.

Substantial parts of the table and chair combinations in accordance with this invention are formable by plastic molding techniques and a particularly preferred plastics material is Marbon A.B.S. Metalis, however, the preferred material for the legs of the tables and chairs. It is believed that a table and chair combination as shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 can be made with a total weight of about pounds and it will thus be realized that a number can be stacked without overloading a floor.

DIMENSIONALITY By careful choice of dimensions significant advantages are achieved.

In this respect I have found that the tables shown in FIGS. 1 to 14 are preferably substantially 4 feet 8 inches in diameter when erected. Such a size table is a particularly good size for arranging in restaurants and reference is made in this respect to the Sebel paper previously referred to. Further, the 4 foot 8 inch diameter provides ample room for receiving legs which will produce a table having the normal dining height of 30 inches. This last figure is sometimes varied to 29 inches or 31 inches.

Still further, a 4 foot 8 inch diameter table is capable of seating eight persons and it will be found that eight chairs constructed as described above will conveniently fit within said volume and yet be, in the unfolded position, chairs which comply with accepted standards of size and shape. In particular, difficulty is not found in enclosing the chair legs due to the frusto-sectorial form when folded.

For the tables shown in FIGS. 15 and '16 the preferred table size is 2 feet by 2 feet 8 inches. This also is a convenient restaurant size, again see the Sebel paper. Further, this size will also accommodate legs sufficient to make the table height from 29 inches to 31 inches. Still further, this size is such that two chairs to each table are enclosable within the volume defined and once again the chairs will comply with accepted standards of size and shape.

I claim:

1. A foldable chair comprising: A. a seat having along its rear side:

1. a pair of outer lugs, 2. a central lug spaced from said outer lugs to form a pair of pivot recesses therebetween, and 5 3. a pivot-pin opening extending in axial alignment through said outer lugs and said central lug and disposed in parallel to said rear side;

B. a pair of divergingly disposed back legs having a conjoining member attached to the inner ends thereof, said conjoining member having a pivotrestricting means adapted to engage said central lug, a pair of spaced pivot lugs adapted to fit within said pivot recesses, and a pivot-pin opening extending through said pivot lugs;

C. a backrest having a spring-loaded catch which releasably engages with said conjoining member, when said backrest and said back legs are pivotably attached to said seat with a pivot pin through said pivot-pin openings and are disposed in opened relationship, to prevent a closing movement of said backrest except when said spring-loaded catch is released; and

D. a pair of front legs, each front leg being separately and pivotably attached to said seat and having a spring-loaded catch for selective holding thereof in folded or unfolded condition.

2. The foldable chair of claim 1 wherein said front legs become convergingly disposed during folding thereof by separately folding each of said front legs toward the center line of said seat at said rear side so that said pair of front legs, when folded, are parallel to and outside of said divergingly disposed back legs, when folded.

3. The foldable chair of claim 2 wherein said folding of said backrest, said back legs, and said front legs toward said seat creates a folded chair having a generally frusto-sectorial form.

4. The foldable chair of claim 3 wherein eight of said folded chairs are snugly storable side-by-side to form an annulus, having said rear sides along the inner perimeter thereof, which fits snugly within a volume enclosed by a folded table.

5. The foldable chair of claim 3 wherein at least two of said folded chairs are snugly storable side-by-side in an alternating relationship to form a rectangle which fits snugly within a volume enclosed by a folded table. 

1. A foldable chair comprising: A. a seat having along its rear side:
 1. a pair of outer lugs,
 2. a central lug spaced from said outer lugs to form a pair of pivot recesses therebetween, and
 3. a pivot-pin opening extending in axial alignment through said outer lugs and said central lug and disposed in parallel to said rear side; B. a pair of divergingly disposed back legs having a conjoining member attached to the inner ends thereof, said conjoining member having a pivot-restricting means adapted to engage said central lug, a pair of spaced pivot lugs adapted to fit within said pivot recesses, and a pivot-pin opening extending through said pivot lugs; C. a backrest having a spring-loaded catch which releasably engages with said conjoining member, when said backrest and said back legs are pivotably attached to said seat with a pivot pin through said pivot-pin openings and are disposed in opened relationship, to prevent a closing movement of said backrest except when said spring-loaded catch is released; and D. a pair of front legs, each front leg being separately and pivotably attached to said seat and having a spring-loaded catch for selective holding thereof in folded or unfolded condition.
 2. a central lug spaced from said outer lugs to form a pair of pivot recesses therebetween, and
 2. The foldable chair of claim 1 wherein said front legs become convergingly disposed during folding thereof by separately folding each of said front legs toward the center line of said seat at said rear side so that said pair of front legs, when folded, are parallel to and outside of said divergingly disposed back legs, when folded.
 3. a pivot-pin opening extending in axial alignment through said outer lugs and said central lug and disposed in parallel to said rear side; B. a pair of divergingly disposed back legs having a conjoining member attached to the inner ends thereof, said conjoining member having a pivot-restricting means adapted to engage said central lug, a pair of spaced pivot lugs adapted to fit within said pivot recesses, and a pivot-pin opening extending through said pivot lugs; C. a backrest having a spring-loaded catch which releasably engages with said conjoining member, when said backrest and said back legs are pivotably attached to said seat with a pivot pin through said pivot-pin openings and are disposed in opened relationship, to prevent a closing movement of said backrest except when said spring-loaded catch is released; and D. a pair of front legs, each front leg being separately and pivotably attached to said seat and having a spring-loaded catch for selective holding thereof in folded or unfolded condition.
 3. The foldable chair of claim 2 wherein said folding of said backrest, said back legs, and said front legs toward said seat creates a folded chair having a generally frusto-sectorial form.
 4. The foldable chair of claim 3 wherein eight of said folded chairs are snugly storable side-by-side to form an annulus, having said rear sides along the inner perimeter thereof, which fits snugly within a volume enclosed by a folded table.
 5. The foldable chair of claim 3 wherein at least two of said folded chairs are snugly storable side-by-side in an alternating relationship to form a rectangle which fits snugly within a volume enclosed by a folded table. 